EU – “a many headed beast” by Clive Gregory

With only a few more days to go until the EU referendum, many local people are still undecided and, understandably, the most prominent campaigns in the media haven’t helped much. With so much information being bandied about, much of which cannot be substantiated, it is no wonder people are confused.

Part of the problem is that the EU is a many headed beast; this means that the option of staying in or coming out of the EU is complex.

Originally, the major powers, long before the end of World War II, decided that there could be no more war in Europe. However, rather than have the interests of the people of Europe at heart, these power brokers and financiers wanted a way of making vast fortunes without the inconvenience and danger (for them) of war.

On the other hand, the post war era also created a powerful demand from millions of people for real change. As a result, as the EU began and developed, it progressed with two main heads, the un-democratic corporate head and the publicly accountable head – the parliament where our MEPs sit.

Because of this publicly accountable head and demand from millions of Europeans, our beaches are cleaner, our air less polluted, our wildlife is safer and some of our dirtiest power stations have been closed. We experience protection from discrimination in the workplace, have rights as working parents, and to paid holiday, and a regular lunch break. The EU has been fundamental in making the British workplace a fairer and more equal place.

However, the undemocratic head (the dark side) of the EU remains. This is best summed up currently by TTIP. This is a so-called trade agreement between Europe and the USA. This agreement has been negotiated in total secrecy and would, even now, be virtually unheard of were it not for a few investigative journalists and activists. A movement across Europe has now grown into a massive protest against this toxic agreement that would see corporate organisations seize a greater position of power than national, democratically elected governments.

At this point, you might be thinking I’m about to recommend that we exit the EU in order to escape this evil.

No, not at all – we MUST stay in Europe. And this is why –

If we exit Europe we’ll lose our connection with 500 million people. A block of 500 million people has power – the power to stand up to banks and mega corporations who seek to destroy our fledgling attempts at democracy and who seek to control and rule behind the scenes. This block of people creates a mass of consciousness that is felt, understood and FEARED by the few power brokers that try and set the agenda – in their interests.

Five hundred million people can prevent TTIP, can prevent corruption from being completely out of control, but we need to come together and fight. Already a new organization, DiEM25, has been born with goals to make the EU more accountable – its initial goal, to live stream currently closed-door meetings, shows what needs to be done to regain democracy within the EU.

Should we exit the EU, it is my fear that hard won freedoms would be sacrificed to business interests. We are already in the grip of the financial empire that rules from behind the scenes, but being part of 500 million people still gives us some power; reducing to 60 million will be surrender to forces darker than the dark side of the EU.